US Open 2009 champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium has breezed through to the second round of Australian Open 2010, recording a straight-sets victory over Canadian qualifier Valerie Tetreault on Monday.
A large crowd at Rod Laver Arena saw Clijsters put on a commanding display, using a variety of angles on her way to a 6-0 6-4 win.
The young Canadian was unable to hold serve at all in the first set after a nervous start, and Clijsters took full advantage - and the set without dropping a single game.
The Belgian’s complete control was illustrated on set point, when she served wide to Tetreault’s forehand and ran her from one side of the court to the other before putting an errant forehand away with a round-arm smash.
In her first Australian Open after her maiden Grand Slam appearance at last year’s US Open, Tetreault put her nerves behind her in the second set.
She increased her first serve percentage to 73 per cent and started to make her more experienced opponent fight for every point.
“My goal was to go out there and have fun with it, enjoy the moment and play my best tennis to show what I have. I am really happy I was able to do that in the second set,” Tetreault said.
“I was earning my points and put a lot of first serves in … and to be able to play those points against her was very positive for me.”
After failing to break Tetreault’s serve when the scores were level at 3-3, Clijsters did so at 4-4 and rounded out the match in the next game.
“I think [Tetreault] was a little intimidated by the court and the atmosphere … she served a lot better in that second set and she looked little more comfortable,” Clijsters said.
“I’m going to be watching her throughout this year,” she said.
Clijsters will play the winner of Sesil Karatantcheva and Tamarine Tanasugarn in the second round of Australian Open 2010.
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